Our trip to the 2007 Craftsman Structure Show in Mansfield Mass. was a blast. Can you imagine having a hobby that you are very passionate about, and getting to meet and learn from your idols in that hobby. George Sellios is in my opinion, the greatest model railroad modeller of all time. I was fortunate to meet him and get my picture with him. When I start adding structures to my layout, you will see the structures that I have built that he creates every year. He puts out a limited quantity of these kits every year. I have roughly 6 of his kits.
Another gentleman that I got to meet and get my picture taken with was Scotty Mason. Can you believe this guy builds model railroads for a living. He is the luckiest guy in the world. He is quite an ambassador for this hobby.
The show consisted of clinics where I learned how to weather wood walls, rock castings and paint detail parts. A few of the people that design and build these craftsman kits, did clinics on how they get their inspiration and what it takes for them to get their kits done for sales at the end of the year.
It was truly an amazing expirience for me to be among 100 or so people with the same modelling interests as myself. I shall be going back again next year.
There were quite a few of exquisite dioramas on display. Pictured to the right is one of the finest I have ever seen.
Next stop..... Christmas Holidays and full steam ahead with the benchwork. Pardon the pun!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
A stop along the way...
My wife, Brigitte, and I vacationed in Nashville this year. WOW! do I love that city. The people are so nice and the pace of life seems so perfect. We were able to find some time to do some railfanning while in Nashville. It was a great day for taking photos.
The CSX anyone? picture was taken in the Nashville yards. The 2 switcher engines picture was taken on the tracks by Union Station. The weather was perfect for railfanning. A clear sunny day makes for great pictures. A big thank you goes out to my wife for snapping these great pics.
The CSX anyone? picture was taken in the Nashville yards. The 2 switcher engines picture was taken on the tracks by Union Station. The weather was perfect for railfanning. A clear sunny day makes for great pictures. A big thank you goes out to my wife for snapping these great pics.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
What's in a name..
The B & R Railway. Back in the seventies and early eighties I had a great neighbor. ( best friend ) His name was Rudy Stadig. My eyes get really teary eyed as I try to type this. We did alot of stuff together. We went swimming, played raquetball, golfed a bit, and built quite a few models together. I can still remember setting up a small card table in his back yard and sitting out there all day working on our models. We would give each other advice on modeling, talk about current events and just chill really. Man those were great times. In my teenage years I wasn't really into trains but we found some time to tinker with them. I started a layout but just didn't have the time to really get into it.
As we were building models one day, I mentioned that if I ever had a nice model railroad, I would call it the B & R Railway. ( Brad & Rudy Railway ) In 1989 I married Brigitte and Rudy was my best man. He flew to North Bay from Burnaby B.C. to attend my wedding. I didn't get to spend much time with him as I had alot of other family and people to see.Here comes the tough part, so bear with me.
About a year after my wedding I get a letter from his sister saying that he was killed a in a car wreck. She believes he was driving home from visiting his parents and perhaps fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a rock cut. I'm kind of speechless at the moment so I'll take a break....
Rudy was a dentist. He wasn't married. I don't know if he was even seeing anyone at the time of his death. He was a great guy. I look back and think of the times he helped me through a tough time in my life with my parents getting a divorce. I think his friendship was instrumental in keeping me out of trouble and me having a positive attitude through those tough times. I really miss him.
So, I dedicate my model railway to my best friend, Dr. Rudy Stadig.
As we were building models one day, I mentioned that if I ever had a nice model railroad, I would call it the B & R Railway. ( Brad & Rudy Railway ) In 1989 I married Brigitte and Rudy was my best man. He flew to North Bay from Burnaby B.C. to attend my wedding. I didn't get to spend much time with him as I had alot of other family and people to see.Here comes the tough part, so bear with me.
About a year after my wedding I get a letter from his sister saying that he was killed a in a car wreck. She believes he was driving home from visiting his parents and perhaps fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a rock cut. I'm kind of speechless at the moment so I'll take a break....
Rudy was a dentist. He wasn't married. I don't know if he was even seeing anyone at the time of his death. He was a great guy. I look back and think of the times he helped me through a tough time in my life with my parents getting a divorce. I think his friendship was instrumental in keeping me out of trouble and me having a positive attitude through those tough times. I really miss him.
So, I dedicate my model railway to my best friend, Dr. Rudy Stadig.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
In The Beginning..
God created man. Man then realized that he needed a hobby. Model trains was created.
In 1964, I was created. I thank my parents for bringing me into this world. Apparently when I was still in the baby carriage age, I would mumble CHOOO WOOO as a train would go by in Englehart, Ontario, Canada. From that point on, my mom gave me the nickname ( CHOOCH ). My grandfather worked on the railroad in northern Ontario. I believe that is when my love for trains began.
Jump ahead to the age of around 4 or 5. It's Christmas. Ahhh, this is going to be a great Christmas. I open a few gifts and then there it is. A Train Set!!! I get a warm feeling looking at the pictures of me, playing with my trains on the living room floor. Jeez I was small back then. I had a Triang passenger train, a Triang box car and a Triang caboose. I still have all but the engine that ran the passenger train. I will find a replacement at a train show some day. I keep looking.
Jump ahead to 1978. My family takes a vacation to Europe. WOW! Lots of trains and the stations are unbelievable. I have saved up my allowances and purchase a Dutch Interstate Railways engine, and passenger train and two Trans European Express cars. I still have these packed away with the photos of this vacation.
Jump to 1982. I graduate from high school in Sherwood Park Alberta. Girls, working for a living, not much interest in trains.
Jump to 1986. I move to North Bay Ontario to attend Canadore College. Shortly there after my mom moves out from Edmonton and brings with her my precious boxes of trains and Model Railroader magazines. It feels so good to be reunited with my possessions again.
Jump to 1989. I am now married to Brigitte. She is the greatest. I apply for a job with CP Rail as a brakeman. I get hired, do the training and am now a certified brakeman. Not as fun as model trains. Being called out at all hours of the morning, minus 30 below weather, black flies. I would rather be in a basement working on my trains than riding them. I am on a spare board and continually get layed off so I quit.
I join the North Bay Model Railroad Club. What a great group of guys. Man did I have alot of fun during this time. We had a club set up in two old Ontario Northland box cars. We would work on the layout during the winter months. During the summer the display would be open to the public. I met alot of great guys there and learned alot from Peter and John Chandler. They were instrumental in my quest for fine modeling. Those were good times.
Jump to 1995. I have relocated to Ottawa Canada. This is where my enthusiasm for model trains takes off. I receive a model train structure kit from my mom for Christmas. It is Fine Scale Miniatures kit # 170. It is a fine detailed kit of a sawmill. WOW!!!!!! I am hooked. This is the part of model railroading I enjoy the most. I sit at my model bench and work on my kits for hours. I now have three kits pretty well completed. The sawmill, Emporium Seafood, and Duffy's Coal Yard. Waiting on the shelf are, Franklin Watchworks,Houligan's Alley, and Bartholow Coal company. These kits take a good 100 hours to complete.
Jump ahead to today. August 22, 2007. I am about to finish preparing a room in my basement for my model railroad. I will be finishing the ceiling to help keep the dust off of the layout and structures. I will finish the walls, add electrical plugs, install carpeting and good lighting. Then the creation will begin. The room is approximatley 10 x 10 feet. This room will be shared with the hot water tank and the furnace.
A bit about the railroad. It is HO scale. The era will be diesel and late eighties to the present time. It will be freelanced, however, run Canadian Pacific and Canadian National motive power. Some guest engines will make an appearance from time to time. ( NAR, Boston and Maine, CSX ) I will be looking to a DCC system to run the trains. Not sure yet but it will be either be Digitrax or NCE.
For most of the room, the benchwork will be built solid against the wall. Along one side, I will be building 2 x 4 foot modules so that access can be given to the furnace and hot water tank. Also, the modules can be taken outside for photography opportunties.
I love woodworking. I can't wait to begin building benchwork for my pike. I will also build some display cabinets for my trains from when I was a youngster.
Well, that's the beginning of what will be a truly great journey. Hop aboard and enjoy the ride. We have two stops before we get going though. We will be stoppimg in Nashville for a 1 week vacation and a weekend getaway in Mansfield PA. for the Craftsman Structure Show. After these are out of the way, we can begin our fantastic model railroading journey.....enjoy.
In 1964, I was created. I thank my parents for bringing me into this world. Apparently when I was still in the baby carriage age, I would mumble CHOOO WOOO as a train would go by in Englehart, Ontario, Canada. From that point on, my mom gave me the nickname ( CHOOCH ). My grandfather worked on the railroad in northern Ontario. I believe that is when my love for trains began.
Jump ahead to the age of around 4 or 5. It's Christmas. Ahhh, this is going to be a great Christmas. I open a few gifts and then there it is. A Train Set!!! I get a warm feeling looking at the pictures of me, playing with my trains on the living room floor. Jeez I was small back then. I had a Triang passenger train, a Triang box car and a Triang caboose. I still have all but the engine that ran the passenger train. I will find a replacement at a train show some day. I keep looking.
Jump ahead to 1978. My family takes a vacation to Europe. WOW! Lots of trains and the stations are unbelievable. I have saved up my allowances and purchase a Dutch Interstate Railways engine, and passenger train and two Trans European Express cars. I still have these packed away with the photos of this vacation.
Jump to 1982. I graduate from high school in Sherwood Park Alberta. Girls, working for a living, not much interest in trains.
Jump to 1986. I move to North Bay Ontario to attend Canadore College. Shortly there after my mom moves out from Edmonton and brings with her my precious boxes of trains and Model Railroader magazines. It feels so good to be reunited with my possessions again.
Jump to 1989. I am now married to Brigitte. She is the greatest. I apply for a job with CP Rail as a brakeman. I get hired, do the training and am now a certified brakeman. Not as fun as model trains. Being called out at all hours of the morning, minus 30 below weather, black flies. I would rather be in a basement working on my trains than riding them. I am on a spare board and continually get layed off so I quit.
I join the North Bay Model Railroad Club. What a great group of guys. Man did I have alot of fun during this time. We had a club set up in two old Ontario Northland box cars. We would work on the layout during the winter months. During the summer the display would be open to the public. I met alot of great guys there and learned alot from Peter and John Chandler. They were instrumental in my quest for fine modeling. Those were good times.
Jump to 1995. I have relocated to Ottawa Canada. This is where my enthusiasm for model trains takes off. I receive a model train structure kit from my mom for Christmas. It is Fine Scale Miniatures kit # 170. It is a fine detailed kit of a sawmill. WOW!!!!!! I am hooked. This is the part of model railroading I enjoy the most. I sit at my model bench and work on my kits for hours. I now have three kits pretty well completed. The sawmill, Emporium Seafood, and Duffy's Coal Yard. Waiting on the shelf are, Franklin Watchworks,Houligan's Alley, and Bartholow Coal company. These kits take a good 100 hours to complete.
Jump ahead to today. August 22, 2007. I am about to finish preparing a room in my basement for my model railroad. I will be finishing the ceiling to help keep the dust off of the layout and structures. I will finish the walls, add electrical plugs, install carpeting and good lighting. Then the creation will begin. The room is approximatley 10 x 10 feet. This room will be shared with the hot water tank and the furnace.
A bit about the railroad. It is HO scale. The era will be diesel and late eighties to the present time. It will be freelanced, however, run Canadian Pacific and Canadian National motive power. Some guest engines will make an appearance from time to time. ( NAR, Boston and Maine, CSX ) I will be looking to a DCC system to run the trains. Not sure yet but it will be either be Digitrax or NCE.
For most of the room, the benchwork will be built solid against the wall. Along one side, I will be building 2 x 4 foot modules so that access can be given to the furnace and hot water tank. Also, the modules can be taken outside for photography opportunties.
I love woodworking. I can't wait to begin building benchwork for my pike. I will also build some display cabinets for my trains from when I was a youngster.
Well, that's the beginning of what will be a truly great journey. Hop aboard and enjoy the ride. We have two stops before we get going though. We will be stoppimg in Nashville for a 1 week vacation and a weekend getaway in Mansfield PA. for the Craftsman Structure Show. After these are out of the way, we can begin our fantastic model railroading journey.....enjoy.
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My First Train
Don't touch dad, I'm driving!!!